Best way to prevent weight cutting?

[Cheapshart]

To me it seems like guys would still do it anyways, and it would maybe even be worse because they'd be dehydrated going in to the fight without having time to recover

This. Make up whatever rules you want and the fighters will still game the system looking for an advantage.

The problem isn't the system, it's the fighters.

 

[UhHuhSure]

open weight tourneys

 

[MUSTANG!]

Out of curiosity I did some calculations with the current weight classes. Starting at 115, if the next weight class is 7.5 percent higher than the previous one (except LHW to HW), this is what the weight classes would look like (may not be exactly 7.5 percent due to rounding):

115
124
133
143
154
166
178
191
205
220
265

I chose 7.5 percent because I liked the results, plus it shrinks the gap between MW and LHW, which was 11 percent.

It does add two weight classes, so there would be that trade-off.

I like your idea but it would create one hell of a mess in the initiation stage

 

[Jarvan]

Weight cutting is clearly a big problem in mma right now, both in terms of fights getting canceled, and with fighter safety.

Still though, I've yet to hear a solution that I think would really resolve the issue. One common suggestion is having guys weigh in right before the fight... to me it seems like that would just make guys cut weight the morning of the fight and go into the fight dehydrated, which is even worse. Another suggestion is 2 separate weigh ins, one a while before, the second right before the fight... seems like the same problem, guys would just cut weight twice, before each cut, which is just as bad or worse.

The best idea I've heard is requiring a hydration test at the weigh in so you have to meet a certain level of hydration to be allowed to weigh in. Another idea would be surprise weigh ins as part of the drug testing program that requires you be within a certain range when they show up for a surprise test. Still, neither idea seems like it would totally resolve it.

Thoughts?

Right. Implement what onefc is doing with the hydration tests and weight checks weeks leading up to the fight so fighters don't cut so drastically.

 

[Jarvan]

open weight tourneys

Exciting, but with today's skill level, there would be deaths.

 

[StoneWT]

Increase the financial penalty. Miss weight twice in a row, get bumped up to the next weight. Miss weight 3 times total, get bumped up to the next weight. Each time you miss weight bump up the penalty for failing by 10%. Can't be over +10% of the division's limit for the fight.

 

[BabyBlue_Bomber]

Might have been mentioned already, but adding in more weight classes would help...

I remember Rich Franklin saying he felt he was two small for 205, but the cut to 185 was hard for him...

He had a catch weight at 195 and said that he wished that the UFC had a 195 weight class during the post-fight interview

I'm sure there are others who feel the same

 

[SPB]

To me it seems like guys would still do it anyways, and it would maybe even be worse because they'd be dehydrated going in to the fight without having time to recover

Good. Their fucking choice. Try to fight smaller guys and get brain damage yourself. Justice.

Weigh in should be at cageside. Then we get a 170er fighting a 170er, or a 155er fighting a 155er. Want to play a game, dehydrate, gas, and get brain damage? Go right ahead asshole.

Right now we have 2 guys dehydrating like a MFer for days to get to 155. Then they rehydrate and fight one another at 170. Wouldn' t it be smarter to just have them fight at 170 to begin with?

 

[L.T.]

Easy. Absolute division. Any other method you guys come up with will just result in mass pullouts right before events which is a nightmare for promoters. There is no way to prevent it.

 

[Patman]

Hydration tests at the weight-ins. You need to have an X% of water weight to be considered healthy enough to compete.

 

[Rhood]

2 missed weight attempts = weight class ban
4 missed weight attempts overall = UFC ban

 

[FrodoFraggins]

See, to me this seems dangerous too because you'd have guys dehydrating themselves right before the fight for the second weigh in

no they wouldn't because they couldn't recover in time and would lose if they dehydrated themselves

 

[tdluxon]

no they wouldn't because they couldn't recover in time and would lose if they dehydrated themselves

At least some guys would do it anyways

 

[FrodoFraggins]

At least some guys would do it anyways

and they'd lose badly and possibly get cut.

 

[thewhiterooster]

I don't see weight cutting as a problem. it's part of being a professional. if you know you have to make 186 at a certain date, you prepare accordingly. if you can't do it, you go to 205. it's part of the sport.

 

[wufabufa]

Random, unannounced weigh ins and hydration tests 2x per week for 2 months leading up to fight night by an independent official.

Never gonna happen.

 

[theleerygoose]

Weigh ins 2 hours before fights, you miss weight you forfeit 100% of your purse.

No more weight cutting.

 

[PEDS Help me Post]

Good. Their fucking choice. Try to fight smaller guys and get brain damage yourself. Justice.

Weigh in should be at cageside. Then we get a 170er fighting a 170er, or a 155er fighting a 155er. Want to play a game, dehydrate, gas, and get brain damage? Go right ahead asshole.

Right now we have 2 guys dehydrating like a MFer for days to get to 155. Then they rehydrate and fight one another at 170. Wouldn' t it be smarter to just have them fight at 170 to begin with?

Yeah, at first it began as a way for fighters to get a size advantage.... and now because everyone is doing it they have to cut weight to not be at a size disadvantage. Something needs to be done to reset them back to fighting at their proper weights.

Right now it seem likes UFC stands for Ultimate Fluid Cutting.

 

[campbecc]

If they wanted to limit weight cutting they could just test to see if the fighters are dehydrated.

 

[wufabufa]

More weight classes is the only solution. People will never stop cutting dangerous amounts of weight.

But then that may open up guys chasing belts in multiple divisions. Who doesn't love champ vs champ? The UFC fucking loves it, it's good marketing/hype. You're still going to have guys dropping weight classes and cutting dangerous amounts of weight especially if the incentive is there to do it.

They've been thinning the roster, events are still diluted by mediocre talent, and my guess is that adding weight classes will just muddy up an already over saturated product.